OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Steelers need a new ball thrower for the handball game thingy

[DanielPlainview]

I wouldn't count on Austin being effective in the Top 3. He'll cause match up problems for any team that doesn't have a lightning quick NKL. But take him out of that role and he'll just be a very undersized guy who'd get worn down quickly by frequent targets/hits.

 

[metalan2]

I wouldn't count on Austin being effective in the Top 3. He'll cause match up problems for any team that doesn't have a lightning quick NKL. But take him out of that role and he'll just be a very undersized guy who'd get worn down quickly by frequent targets/hits.

We'll see. I think this dude is gonna be special.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I am curious if the Steelers would have big enough balls to trade Diontae Johnson if Pickens and Austin come in and produce. Because I think we could get two 2nd's for Johnson, which would help the cause a great deal.

The time to make such a trade was pre draft. Not now

Anyway I think DJ is pretty underrated...dude is a pretty good player

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Steelers shouldn’t have major cap issues for quite some time.

Basically, until they are paying a franchise QB like his peers, they will be more than fine cap wise.

Even if KP is the guy, he won’t be making that kind of money for several years.

So if they sign DJ, can’t say I’m worried about the cap hit TBTH.

 

[DanielPlainview]

They have to decide to pay Minkah, DJ, Claypool, etc. They may not have big $ in a QB for awhile but that just means the money will go to the team while it can

 

[Coastal Kev]

They have to decide to pay Minkah, DJ, Claypool, etc. They may not have big $ in a QB for awhile but that just means the money will go to the team while it can

Based on recent performance I would not give big money to any of the 3 players listed.

Minkah made a lot of big plays his first year, not many since. If you want to be paid like a top player, you have to make big plays.

DJ is wildly inconsistent, I wish they had traded him at the draft. Claypool has an AB persona without the talent to justify. Get what you can get and dump him.

 

[Pens1566]

I could see them getting close to cap issues given who they need to sign coming up. Minkah/DJ could be big $$$.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

They have to decide to pay Minkah, DJ, Claypool, etc. They may not have big $ in a QB for awhile but that just means the money will go to the team while it can

Oh I don't think Claypool is back in any way shape or form.

 

[xlm34]

With the new TV deal, the cap will go up a lot in the next few years. Plus guys like Ben, JuJu, Ebron, and Ingram are still counting against the cap. They should be in really good shape money wise.

Claypool will be interesting. If he has a good year, and Pickens and Austin look good, I wouldn’t hate seeing what he’d bring back in a trade before the draft next year.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

For DJ, it just comes down to how much is guaranteed.

Everybody brings up the Christian Kirk contract. His contract is 4 years and 72 million (18mil avg) and it could max out to 84 mil. But the guaranteed money is 37 million. I wouldn't have a problem with signing DJ to that deal.

My thought is that DJ wants more guaranteed money than Kirk.

There is talk the Steelers will look to just have DJ play on his current contract and then franchise tag him for next season. The tag for 2022 is 18.4 mil, I'm guessing it will close to 20 mil for 2023. I wouldn't have a problem with that either.

Obviously DJ will, but I have hard time believing someone else will do a LeVeon Bell after that blew up in his face.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Diontae Johnson's only real issues are the dropsies that afflicted him in 2020 and then in Big Moments at the end of 2021. That is the difference between him and the mega-upper echelon.

But his value is very clear. Guy is a freak route-runner whose shiftiness allows him to get open on every single play seemingly. For a QB and OC it makes your job so much easier. I can't think of many teams that wouldn't want Diontae...just depends on the price.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

How a grandmother found herself playing pickleball with Steelers T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Alex Highsmith

When Meg Burkardt arrived at the North Park pickleball courts Saturday, she noticed that a few strapping young men were on the court where she and her...

www.post-gazette.com

 

[bigdaddyk88]

For DJ, it just comes down to how much is guaranteed.

Everybody brings up the Christian Kirk contract. His contract is 4 years and 72 million (18mil avg) and it could max out to 84 mil. But the guaranteed money is 37 million. I wouldn't have a problem with signing DJ to that deal.

My thought is that DJ wants more guaranteed money than Kirk.

There is talk the Steelers will look to just have DJ play on his current contract and then franchise tag him for next season. The tag for 2022 is 18.4 mil, I'm guessing it will close to 20 mil for 2023. I wouldn't have a problem with that either.

Obviously DJ will, but I have hard time believing someone else will do a LeVeon Bell after that blew up in his face.

Yeah moats was talking about this. Kirk Goliday at 18 is the floor but with Williams and DJ moore getting 20 million Aav that’s where his agent will start negotiations. The tag will probably be closer to 20 now that Kupp signed and will go up once Terry DK and Samuels get paid. If you want him at 18 million Aav you have to give him 5/90 before the season

 

[bigdaddyk88]

They have to decide to pay Minkah, DJ, Claypool, etc. They may not have big $ in a QB for awhile but that just means the money will go to the team while it can

Claypool has 2 years before his extension and all his success is in the slot. I think it safe to assume that Pickens will have a big day on if Claypool gets a contract here.
Minka extension is easy the highest paid safety is 4/70 28 million guaranteed they will top that without thinking

 

[ChaosAgent]

I had been Minkah critical but I think he was excellent last year. I give him big money without thinking much further.

Claypool should be traded after this year. I think both Pickens and Austin hit and we get a 2nd+ for Claypool. He also just has way too much diva/attention-seeker in him for me to want to keep him around.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

How a grandmother found herself playing pickleball with Steelers T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Alex Highsmith

When Meg Burkardt arrived at the North Park pickleball courts Saturday, she noticed that a few strapping young men were on the court where she and her...

www.post-gazette.com

 

[Peat]

Seems to be a lot of optimism for an unpolished guy with supposed maturity issues and a midget, particularly given we're not going to be a great receiving situation due to non-elite OL/QB play and a RB who will demand lots of touches. I will be very pleasantly surprise if we reach the end of the season and one of DJ and Claypool looks disposable due to their play.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I had been Minkah critical but I think he was excellent last year. I give him big money without thinking much further.

Claypool should be traded after this year. I think both Pickens and Austin hit and we get a 2nd+ for Claypool. He also just has way too much diva/attention-seeker in him for me to want to keep him around.

In what way was he excellent last year? I truly don't remember him making many big plays. Solid, ok. Special???

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

In what way was he excellent last year? I truly don't remember him making many big plays. Solid, ok. Special???

He cleaned up a lot of the shit playing next to Edmunds and the terrible ILB play directly in front of him.
There's more than what he put up stat wise in terms of erasing his part of the field.

Watt and Mikah basically carried this defense last year.

 

[Coastal Kev]

He cleaned up a lot of the shit playing next to Edmunds and the terrible ILB play directly in front of him.
There's more than what he put up stat wise in terms of erasing his part of the field.

Watt and Mikah basically carried this defense last year.

I agree with the first part, especially regarding Bush (who wasn't just bad, but almost insulting to watch). Still, Minkah should be popping up with big plays nearly every game. If he wants the HUGE money, doesn't he have either provide INT's or be disruptor like Troy? If he's there only to prevent a 25 yard play becoming a 35 yard play, that's not worth franchise money.

I just don't see an Ed Reed or a Troy type of impact, yet that's what how he wants to be paid.

 

[TimmyD]

Yeah moats was talking about this. Kirk Goliday at 18 is the floor but with Williams and DJ moore getting 20 million Aav that’s where his agent will start negotiations. The tag will probably be closer to 20 now that Kupp signed and will go up once Terry DK and Samuels get paid. If you want him at 18 million Aav you have to give him 5/90 before the season

Just for reference, if you are talking about Mike Williams his cap hit this year is only $15 million. If you are just breaking it down by AAV it averages out to $20 million but that’s not what his actual cap hit is

 

[DanielPlainview]

There are rumors/rumblings that Minkah is unhappy with how he's been used in the defense the past couple of seasons. I sort of doubt he won't re-sign if the money is high enough but it could drag things out. Part of the reason he had such a great first year here is he was playing more of a ballhawk role instead of basically a third level LB similar to how Troy played. That's not really his game, but weakness at ILB may have forced that. We'll see if we see him returned to a ballhawk role with Jack here.

 

[TimmyD]

There are rumors/rumblings that Minkah is unhappy with how he's been used in the defense the past couple of seasons. I sort of doubt he won't re-sign if the money is high enough but it could drag things out. Part of the reason he had such a great first year here is he was playing more of a ballhawk role instead of basically a third level LB similar to how Troy played. That's not really his game, but weakness at ILB may have forced that. We'll see if we see him returned to a ballhawk role with Jack here.

Isn’t that exactly why he wanted out of Miami as well?

 

[Peat]

Can't help but wonder whether they brought in Kazee to run more three safety looks to let Fitzpatrick play more of a ballhawk role.

 

[OnMyOwn]

I can absolutely agree with Minkah on last year. Dude had to make so many tackles it was unreal. He was forced to be another linebacker for much of the year, essentially. The run defense screwed him. He needs to be in a ball hawk role…he’s an all-pro for a reason.